1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for enabling communication between disparate exercise devices and computer devices. More particular, the present invention relates to providing systems and methods for two-way communication between exercise devices and computer devices that typically are incapable of communicating one with another. Further, the present invention relates to enabling one or more users on one or more exercise devices to interact in a competitive environment.
2. The Relevant Technology
At health clubs, members are taught correct techniques for using exercise equipment and performing exercises in group settings. By so doing, members are less likely to receive an exercise related injury, while exercising in a synergistic environment where group members derive encouragement and motivation from each other. Initially, only group aerobic classes were available to members of the health club. More recently, however, group workout approaches have been extended to classes that use exercise equipment or devices. For example, “Spinning Classes” are available in which each participant operates his or her own stationery exercise cycle in a group setting with a coach or instructor leading the group through a prescribed program or routine. Similar instructional classes are available at health clubs that use other types of exercise equipment or devices.
One of the primary disadvantages of group training is that such training is typically available only at health club and therefore it is not as convenient as exercising in the privacy and comfort of one's own home. Consumers are purchasing home exercise devices in record quantities in an attempt to conveniently improve their health and physical conditioning. However, ownership of a home exercise device requires the owner to maintain and/or repair the device, as necessary, and typically eliminates access to the synergistic environment of the health club and the expertise of personal trainers or instructors.
Some efforts have been made in the prior art to introduce a level of “interactivity” into home exercise equipment or devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,249 discloses a video exercise control system in which a videocassette recorder (VCR) or similar device is coupled, via a hard wired connection, to an exercise machine, such as a treadmill. As an individual exercises on the treadmill, the VCR in synchronization with a prerecorded audio/video presentation controls the speed and incline of the treadmill.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,509, entitled “Remote Exercise Control System” that is incorporated herein by reference, disclosed a system in which an exercise device, such as a treadmill, remotely communicates via a communications module with an evaluation module located at a remote location. Signals indicative of the operating parameters of the treadmill are transmitted from the treadmill to the evaluation module, and control signals are transmitted from the remote evaluation module for controlling the operating parameters of the treadmill.
Another example of an exercise device that provides a user with some interactivity is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,172. The exercise device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,172 is coupled, via a hard-wired connection, to a video game device. The operating parameters of the exercise device are used as inputs to the video game controller, which then produces a video display based on the inputs received. While these approaches exist, they nevertheless fail to provide many desirable benefits of group exercise.
Consumers purchasing home exercise equipment for convenience are unable to enjoy many benefits of group exercises. For example, the consumers of home exercise equipment typically face challenges of understanding proper use of the equipment, of developing an exercise routine, of maintaining motivation to use the equipment on a consistent and ongoing basis, and of providing necessary maintenance and repair to the equipment. It would be a definite improvement in the art of home exercise equipment to provide the desirable benefits of group exercise in the convenience of a home setting.